Looking for the best freezer for your home?

Looking for a good place to hide a body? A chest freezer could be a good option for you then...

Just kidding!!

But if you are in need of somewhere to store bulk meat buys to feed a big family, or the entire Haagen-Dazs range for your out-of-control ice cream addiction, a separate chest or upright freezer could be just what you need.

Looking for the best
freezer?

Will a separate freezer be worth the extra cost?

If you're a smart grocery shopper, the savings you make from buying and storing discount meat and other frozen foods could more than make up for the purchase price of your freezer in the long run. Like fridges, freezers are initially high-cost, but they should also last you a long time – provided you buy a good one.

Chest or upright?

There are two types of freezers on the market: chest (also known as deep freeze) and upright.

Chest freezers

Chest freezers are the traditional type with the lid on top (the kind you fell into as a kid reaching for an ice-block).

Pros

Better performance

Cheaper to buy

Generally cheaper to run

In power blackouts, they keep your food cooler for longer.

Cons

You need to bend over to reach in, so they're not suitable for people with a bad back or mobility issues

For the vertically challenged, the deeper freezers could see you ending up in cold storage yourself!

Some models have lift-out baskets and vertical dividers, but they're still harder to keep organised – you'll end up rifling through all your frozen goods to find the choc chip ice cream you're looking for

Need to be manually defrosted, which is a lot of work

Larger footprint than uprights.

Upright freezers

Upright freezers are a more recent design that opens up like a fridge.

Pros

Easier to load and unload

Have shelves or drawers that allow you to easily organise your frozen goods

Most models are frost-free so you don't have to defrost them

Smaller footprint than chest freezers.

Cons

Performance is generally not as good as chest models

More expensive to buy and to run.

What else to look for

Size

Look for a freezer that suits your storage needs and will fit into your allocated space. If you're buying a very large freezer, make sure it's going to fit through your front door.

Running costs

Chest freezers generally use less power because of their design. Having a lid on top means that not as much cold air escapes when you open them up. Check the kWh number on the energy rating label – the lower the number, the less it's going to cost you to run the freezer.

Controls

Many freezers have controls at the rear of the unit and at floor level. Make sure they can be easily accessed, but concealed from curious little fingers.

Rollers

Rollers on the base make it easier to move the freezer for cleaning, installation and accessing controls.

Freezer liner

Look for heavy-duty liners that won't damage easily – some freezers may have thin aluminium liners.

Interior light

A light is useful for identifying which flavour ice cream you're grabbing!

Internal storage

Baskets and partitions will help keep your chest freezer from turning into a frozen abyss. For an upright freezer, a combination of shelves and drawers is the most versatile layout.

Drain

On chest freezers, a drain high enough to fit a suitable container makes defrosting easier.

Tips

If you're planning on keeping the freezer in the garage or any other area that can get hot, you'll need a model with good warm-up and ambient scores.

Does your frozen food suffer from unsightly white or grey spots? This is freezer burn caused by dehydration and oxidisation, which tends to happen more in a frost-free freezer due to the moving air. To keep your frozen food in optimum condition, wrap it well leaving no air gaps. This is also good practice for storing food in a chest freezer.

Cost

Chest freezers: $250–$1500.

Upright freezers: $200–$3000.

There are a few outliers, like aspirational ranges from Miele or Sub-Zero, that reach $14,000 and over!